General Hakan Syren was born on 31 January 1952 in Vaxjo, Sweden. He graduated in 1973 from the Swedish Naval Academy as a Lieutenant in the Coastal Artillery. His military education includes the Staff Course and the Command and General Staff Course at the Swedish War College in Stockholm. It also includes the Naval Command Course at the US Naval War College in Newport, USA.

General Syren was appointed as the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee (EUMC) in Brussels in November 2009. Before taking up his present position, General Syrén was Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces for more than five years. His career also includes four years as Chief of Joint Military Intelligence and Security.

Career

1973-79 - Instructor and Platoon Commander at the Coastal Artillery Regiment in Vaxholm (Sweden)
1980-84 - Student at the Swedish War College, Stockholm
1984-88 - Staff Officer at Navy Staff, Stockholm
1988-89 - Student at the Naval War College, Newport, USA
1989-90 - Teacher of Strategy, Swedish War College, Stockholm
1990-92 - Head of Planning Department, Navy Staff, Stockholm
1992-94 - Commanding Officer Marine Amphibious Battalion
1994-96 - Commanding Officer Coastal Artillery Regiment
1996-98 - Head of Operations Planning Department, Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
1999 - Secretary to the Defence Commission, Ministry of Defence
1999-03 -Chief Joint Military Intelligence and Security, Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
2004-09 - Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces
2009 - Chairman of the European Union Military Committee

In parallel with the positions within the Armed Forces, General Syrén also served as ADC to His Majesty the King of Sweden from 1988 to 1996. He is member of the Royal Society of Naval Sciences and of the Royal Academy of War Sciences.

General Syren will probably serve as the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee for a period of three years.